Flush-tank valve.



J; F. CUTTER.

PLUSH TANK VALVE.

l APPLICATIONHLED s311122?, 1907.

934,045., Patented Sept. 14, 1909.

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Y UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

JOI-IN F. COTTER, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FLUSH-TANK VALVE.

being had to the accompanying drawings,y

forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation'to improvements in flush-tank' valves; and it consists in the novel details of construction more fully set forth in the 4specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a section of a flush-tank showing` my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged middle longitudinal sect-ion of the valve; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the Vline 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the inner end of the valve-seat; and Fig. 6 is an inner -face-view of the packing ring for the operating stem of the valve. i

The present valve while specifically designed for use in connection with flush tanks, may be made to serve as a. faucet for general purposes, the object thereof being to control the discharge of water with the least amount of friction, thereby resulting in a very sensitive valve, since the pressure of the water due to the head, against the valve in no wise interferes with the free action of the latter.

The advantages of the invention will be better apparent from a detailed description thereof which is as follows:

Referring to the drawings, T, represents a iush'tanlQC, the chain, L, the lever connected at the outer end to the chain, the inner end being provided with a chain a from which thesiphon S, is suspended.

P, represents they flush-pipe, the water-inlet pipe being represented by W.

- The parts referred to are vwell understood and require no further description, as they form the principal features of every flushtank on the market.

The valve casingl'of my invention is provided with an arm 2 to which is pivotally coupled one end of the float-arm 3, the free end ofthe arm carrying a tioat 4 which in the present instance operates in an overflow receptacle 5 the bottoniof the receptacle being connected to the bottom of the tank T by a tubular standard or pipe 6. The latter Specification of Letters Patent. Patentqgd Sept, 14, 1989. Application fiiea september 27, 1907.

Serial No. 394,842.

is provided near its base with a lateral discharge nozzle 7 which is normally closed by a plug or disk 8 secured to the arm 9 of a supplemental lioat 10, the lower end of the arm 9 being pivoted toa bracket or arm 11 projecting from the pipe 6. suspended pivotally therefrom a pan 12 which plays freely in the overflow 5, the

bottom of the pan being provided with a small orifice 13 to allow the contents thereof .to discharge and prevent freezing, should 'the water in the overflow discharge and fail to till at the proper ti1ne,1n freezing weather.

The water supply pipe TW taps the side 0f the casing 1 near one end thereof, said end ybeing closed by a valvelseat or plug 14 provided with a discharge spout or pipe 15 with which communicate the open ended passages or ports 16, said ports likewise communicating with the interior of the valve-casing. Asbest seen in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, the inner ends of the ports 16 are slightly depressed below the plane of the inner face of the plug 14, the slight depression referred to forming a circular basin 17 over which the flexible leather (or other) valve piece 18 is adapted to seat. The outer end of this leather valve or strip 18 is secured to the inner face Vor seat of the plug 14 at a point radially beyond the basin 17 the strip being wound or wrapped about a cylindrical core 19 pivotally mounted between the arms of the fork 20 of a tubular socket 21, the said socket receiving loosely the inner end of a stem 22 passing axially through the valvecasing, and projecting a suitable distance beyond the fianged plug 23 which closes the opposite end of the casing. The stem 22 passes loosely through the plug 23, the outer face of the latter being suitably dished or scooped out around the opening through which the stem passes toaiford a proper bearing for thespherical fulcrum-piece or nut 24 passed over the screw-threaded portion of the steni (Fig. The outer end of the stem is'coupled by a link 25 to the float-arm 3. The flanged portion 23 of the plug 23 houses a cup-shaped packing ring 26 from the center of which projects a rounded head 27 which forms a seat for a suitable washer 28 passed over the stem 22 and interposed between the head and the nut 29, the latter serving as one ofthe .bearings for the eX- pansion spring 30 coiled about the socket 21 and having its opposite end bearing against the base of the fork 20. The spring of The float 4 has `ported by the water in the overflow.

course serves to force the valve 18 well against its seat when the latter closes over the basin 17 and the ports 16 leading therefrom. The ring 26 receives an expansion coil 31 which serves to force the walls of the ring against the flanges 23 and thus insure a Water-tight joint. Y

The operation of the device may be de-v scribed as follows: Suppose the occupant of the closet pulls the chain and discharges the water from the tank through the pipe P in the usual manner, the water level being at the time even with they over-flow 5 as shown by dotted line in Fig. 1.: As the water escapes from the tank T its level will eventua-lly drop to a point where it can no longer sustain the supplemental float 10, inwhich event the said float will drop, opening the nozzle 7 and allow the contents of the overflow to run into the tank. Not until this overflow discharge has taken place, does thel main float l drop, for the main float is suplong as the overflow is full, the water in the pan 12 does notweight it down as it is of the same specific gravity as the water in the overflow. As the body of water in the overflow is discharged, the weight of the pan 12 begins to assert itself (a mere trifle escaping through the orifice 13), and at once pulls down the float, as seen in dotted position in Fig. 1. The dropping of the float 4l acts on the link 25 and this in turn deilects the stem 22 about its fulcrum 24- as per dotted position in Fig. 2, the deflection of the stemlifting the projecting flap or section of the valve 18 normally seated over the basin 17 sufficiently to uncover the basin. The

moment the basin 17 is thus uncovered the water from the pipe W which has already filled the casing 1 now rushes through the ports 16 and discharge pipe 15 into the tank and fills it, the flow continuing without abatement, until the level ai is reached when it runs into the overflow 5 and fills it, and as it fills it, it picks up the main float t, thus restoring the parts to the full position indicated in Fig. 2, thevalve 18 again closing tightly under the action of the spring 30 and shutting off further supply. Of course as the water is rising in the tank T, it first picks Vup the float 10 which closes the discharge spout 7 before the water discharges into the overflow. constituting the valve may be said to roll or peel off its seat, this peeling taking place y with very little resistance no matter what the water pressure may be against the valve. The peeling action is not directly against the water pressure, but rather at an angle thereto, and hence the action of the valve is accompanied with little resistance and friction.

It is apparent that the valve .may be yused In practice, the flap of leather asa faucet for domestic'purposes, by mounting it so-that the nozzle 15 may point in properdirection. In that event the outer end ofy the stem 22 could be provided with a suitable handle of special design. When serving as a flush-tank valve, it remains fully open until thel tank is full, which is not Vthe case with float-valves ordinarily, the latter gradually closing as the water in the tank rises. Of course the overflow is indispensable to the sucess of the valve, since the oat 4 is notactedonuntil after the overflow has filled.,.r

The arm 2 isI preferably .made hollow thereby providing an air-chamber 2 for cushioning the impact vdue to aniinrush of water into the casing 1, said chamber communicating with the interior. of theV casing (Fig. 2).

Having described my invention, what I claimis:

1. In combination withavalve-casing having a discharge opening at one end, a valveseat having opened ports communicating with said opening and with 'the interior of thecasing respectively, a flexible valvepiece normally seated over the ports and,

having one end secured to the valve-seat at a point beyond the ports, a core about which theV opposite end of the valve piece is wound and secured, a socket coupled to the core, a

stem passing loosely through the opposite end of the valve-casing and having its'inner end loosely received by the socket, a fulcrum piece secured to the stem outside the Vcasing and engaging the latter, a packing for receiving the stemk located at the opposite end of the casing, and an expansion spring coiled about the stem and bearing with its opposite ends againstthe base of the socket vand the packing for forcing the valve to its seat, the parts operating substantially as, 'and for the purpose set forth.

- 2. vIn combination with avalve-casing having Va discharge opening, Va 'flexible yvalvepiece having one end fixed to one side of the adjacent end ofthe `opening and normally spanning said opening, a Yflush-tank, and a stein fulcrumed to the terminal wall of the casing oscillating across the airis Vof 4they casing, and secured tov the Vopposite or movable end of the valve-piece for automatically` unrolling land for lifting the body of the valve-piece toward the fixed end and thereby uncoveringsaid opening with the fallof the water in the flush-tank, substantially assetV forth. Y

Int'estimony whereof .I affix myk'signature, Y i

in presenceof two witnesses.

Y Y JOHN i?. corran.

Vitnesses:

EMIL STAREK, f Y HELEN S. DAUGiER'rY. v 

